Karen Guggenheim is a pioneer in the global happiness movement, a leader in promoting the science behind wellbeing to an international audience, and a motivational speaker inspiring people about how to grow post trauma and rebuild a life focused on passion, purpose, and happiness. She is CEO of WOHASU®, the comprehensive wellbeing ecosystem that produces the World Happiness Summit and is inspiring a fast-growing movement sending a positive rippling effect around the world.
When her husband died suddenly, she still found her way to the discovery that happiness was not only attainable after loss – it was teachable. In 2016, she drastically altered her career path and invested her time, talent, and treasure to create WOHASU® to foster a global community for optimism, positivity, and happiness.
Amidst the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Karen activated the WOHASU® network of leading experts to create unique virtual programming including developing and hosting 40 masterclasses, and supporting schools districts with access to wellbeing content and webinars.
She founded the H-20 Government Meeting, which discusses wellbeing economics and policy, and has ideated, produced, organized. She has promoted several global events attended by thousands of people from over 40 countries and 45 US states. Along with fellow experts, Karen has also created unique trainings like the WOHASU/Florida International University Chief Happiness Officer Certification, the only CHO program in the world certified by a university.
A popular speaker, happiness educator and community builder, Karen concentrates on taking an evidence-approach to wellbeing, purpose-driven communities, and post-traumatic growth. She believes in cultivating inclusive communities of changemakers committed to making the world happier, healthier, and more sustainable. Her mission is to make a case for happiness by highlighting the opportunities for win-win scenarios created by learning and implementing evidence-based tools and policies that make people, organizations, and communities thrive.
Karen is an invited professor by the University of Lisbon in their Executive Master in Positive Psychology program, a mentor for Endeavor Miami and a featured guest on a variety of podcasts focusing on wellbeing, policy, and work. A frequent speaker at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a creator on Marc Cuban’s Fireside Chat podcast platform, her work has been featured in a variety of media including CNN Español, VICE, Outdoor Magazine, and The Miami Herald. In 2019, she was invited by the U.S. State Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in The Hague, Netherlands and her work has inspired many others to create happiness centric organizations, services, and foundations.
Under her leadership, WOHASU® LLC was awarded with the “Key of the City of Miami” by the Miami Mayor and the members of the Miami City Commission.
Karen is a mom of two.
